SHAFAQNA- Italy neither supports the construction of Muslims’ religious buildings nor does it even recognise Islam legally.
As researcher Ada Mullol Marin mentioned in her report on Islamophobia in Italy in 2022: “Members of the [Brothers of Italy] FdI and Lega made declarations against the existence and construction of new mosques in the country, arguing that they trigger social conflicts.”
Simultaneous media coverage warning of the construction of new mosques as signs of the creation of an “Islamic Ghetto” – headlined in the Berlusconi family-owned newspaper Il Giornale – did the rest of the job of fearmongering to legitimise discriminatory policies.
And this discourse, ahead of the national elections, seems to finally be bearing some fruit.
As local media reported, Meloni’s FdI party, which is leading the current coalition government in Italy, proposed a bill aimed at prohibiting the use of garages and industrial warehouses as mosques. FdI’s leader in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Tommaso Foti, who spearheaded this bill, claimed that it would stop the Islamisation of Italy.
But such a contract also bears risks, as it might put Muslims in Italy under more pressure, surveillance, and regulation by the Italian state, similar to what can be observed in Austria.
The policies of Meloni’s party are pushing Muslims further to the margin, threatening collective worship, one of the most fundamental pillars of Islam.
Source: middleeasteye
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